BC doesn't want to get younger. I feel BC has been waiting to get lucky with the draft and get superstar. After that just surround that pick with veterans. I think he feels that JV is that superstar. I realy don't think he will be taking chance on those young high draft picks that haven't been given that chance.

BC doesn't want to get younger. I feel BC has been waiting to get lucky with the draft and get superstar. After that just surround that pick with veterans. I think he feels that JV is that superstar. I realy don't think he will be taking chance on those young high draft picks that haven't been given that chance.

The rumor I've heard/read is that Williams is the ceterpiece of any Minny deal for Gasol. I'd love to see a 3 way trade like this, to see Williams end up in Toronto. I was really high on him in his draft, especially if he can play SF:

LAL: Bargnani, Calderon, Kleiza

MIN: Gasol, 2014 2nd round pick (Sacramento's pick, from Toronto)

TOR: Pekovic, Williams, Shved, Cunningham, Blake

Toronto could flip Cunningham for a 2nd round pick (at least) and trade/cut either Blake or Lucas.

Lakers
- get a good young spread-4 to replace Gasol, at half the cost
- get a Nash clone to back him up and be his insurance at PG
- a backup forward who can also spread the floor

Minny
- Gasol creates a huge front court with Love, still have Rubio, Ridnour and Barrea at PG

Toronto
- 3 good young players to add to their core (Pekovic, Williams, Shved)
- Pekovic would be a good compliment for Valanciunas, as JV develops (also makes Gray an expendable asset)
- Williams could compete for SF spot, or provide depth at PF
- Shved would become a good long-term backup for Lowry
- Cunningham & Blake are just included to match salaries, ideally to be flipped for draft pick(s)

* it works in the ESPN Trade Machine, but you have to use Ridnour & Rubio in place of Williams & Shved (both sets of players are $7.7M in salary - Shved can't be traded until Dec.15)

That sounds awfully optimistic haha.

Pekovic is a legit 15 & 10 center already, and he's not even in his prime yet. His value is extremely high right now, it baffles me as to why Minnesota would even consider trading him right now. Shved is also having a surprisingly good season, making it into this week's Rookie Ladder averaging some really nice numbers.

Unless David Kahn is a complete f*cking moron, this deal probably won't happen. But one can dream right?

Pekovic is a legit 15 & 10 center already, and he's not even in his prime yet. His value is extremely high right now, it baffles me as to why Minnesota would even consider trading him right now. Shved is also having a surprisingly good season, making it into this week's Rookie Ladder averaging some really nice numbers.

Unless David Kahn is a complete f*cking moron, this deal probably won't happen. But one can dream right?

I'm just going off the rumor that Minny offered Pekovic and Williams for Gasol. It would be good even without Shved, but they'd need to send out more salary to make it work (hence my inclusion of Cunningham, but that might still be enough without Shved). The Raps could then keep Blake (or Duhon) as their backup PG (the Lakers would need to include another player besides Gasol to make it work salary-wise for them).

Gasol's knees worries me. I prefer Williams even if he's undersized. I don't think Minny wants to have anything to do with Barney so speculating is pointless at this point.

“The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority.” - Martin Luther King

BC should take a lesson from Glen Grunwald. Miami got spanked by 20 at home without Carmelo?

“The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority.” - Martin Luther King

He has never been wanted in Minnesota. He was taken because he was the #2 consensus pick. Adelman has no respect for his game.

He's had some big games when given opportunities and minutes. A tough situation for him to be because he has no consistency. One night 30 minutes, the next 3 games benched, 11 minutes, etc. etc. He is still just 21. He has lost 7-8 pounds last summer and had some sort of nasal surgery to correct his breathing.

Raptors should be doing everything possible to get in on any Pau trade that has #tradeBargnani ending up in LA but no Gasol here.

We've done it BC's way - and the way I advocated for a long time. Enough of that. He was wrong. I was wrong.

#tradeBargnani. Trade or let Jose expire. Try to dump one of Kleiza or Amir in the process of trading Bargnani. Be prepared to use the amnesty for the other player.

Do everything possible to get Williams and Pekovic from Minnesota. Pekovic could be used long term or he could be a trade chip again before the trade deadline or a sign and trade in the off season where Raps would have right to match any contract offer. Ideally flip Pekovic for a 2014 first round pick - unprotected (tough sell, I know and much easier said than done). Hum and ha over it and get a 1st round pick from Minny too - preferably 2014 pick. If you have to take Ridnour, perfect relatively cheap backup PG solved for next season.

Let Casey get back to coaching his strengths as he did last season - remember how fans were ecstatic with tough, grind it out ball despite no wins? Get rid of the 'losers' (and I say losers because look at the records for the last 5 seasons, they are not contributing to winning). Return to being on the verge of a top 10 defensive team. Work towards that. Make a real 'culture change' and not just throw around a buzz word. The fan base will follow and applaud a team that is actually working towards something instead of following a franchise that is consistently trying to frantically get out of quicksand but still sinking.

All this talk of veterans is rubbish. Get talent - and if you really want veterans on the squad to show professionalism and work ethic, there are always plenty each year looking for a minimum contract.

Finish the year with one goal in mind: being the best defensive team in the league from this point forward.... there is a long road ahead to work on everything else.

From here there are 2 choices:

1) Roll with the youth movement in 2013-14. Do a re-do of 2011-12 and hope to finish better than 8th in the lottery. Hope and pray like the be-jeezus the lottery gods smile for once on Toronto with Wiggins being there. Keep acquiring young talent and picks.

2) Attack this summer in free agency with nearly $20M in cap space for 2 solid veterans (I nominate Millsap and Wright - no, not Julian or Antoine). Realize the most likely chance of winning is to develop a team in the mold of Detroit in 2000's run or current team like Denver. There is likely not going to be a superstar going this route.

So after my rant and back to the thread, yes, go get Williams.

To be honest, this is my favorite post of yours all season. I couldn't agree with you more. Gasol in Toronto would be a disaster for this team moving forward. But if Minny really wants Gasol, and we can get back a young talent like Williams, I gladly move Bargs and Jose in a 3 team trade. Holy crap this needs to happen in the worst way.

I have never cared for all this playoff talk, because it was never going to happen. So I am not as disenfranchised about the state of the team as most here are. I want to continue developing this team the right way and grow gradually keeping a constant eye on the culture that we are developing.

Williams isn't a 3. He would be far better utilized as a stretch 4, even if his college shooting hasn't fully translated yet. Minny tried playing him at the 3, and he couldn't get minutes despite the team having utterly pathetic options at that spot last year. He's not quick enough to guard 3s and his game isn't perimeter oriented at all unless he's putting up a jumper.

If you can get him coming back in a trade for Bargs though, do it in a heartbeat.

To late! Well I've watched the half of the cavs/wolves game and Derrick Williams has not touched the floor. Don't know if his injured but I know is he hasn't played. I still went on YouTube and looked him up. I haven't really followed his career outside college. From I've seen his a stretch 4 for sure. He would be a great pickup for us and even better replacement for Barney.

One thing is for sure that Derrick Williams won't be in Min for long. Seeing that his agent request a trade from the team(lack of playing time). I can't remember if BC was real high on DW in '11

No the agent didn't request anything. Read the article again. It says clearly that he didn't request but enquired about the possibility or Minny\s willingness to consider it. Big difference. What he was doing was letting the team know that his client was unhappy about his role. thats it.

No the agent didn't request anything. Read the article again. It says clearly that he didn't request but enquired about the possibility or Minny\s willingness to consider it. Big difference. What he was doing was letting the team know that his client was unhappy about his role. thats it.

Seeing that he didn't play at all today I'm guessing the coaching staff took it like I did.